1. Field of Invention
A lower leg appliance provides padding and cushion support for the knee, ankle and hip joints in the leg, by providing a hard surfaced knee pad, a hard surfaced ankle pad and a soft surface calf and thigh pad positioned between the calf and thigh, held in place by at least three adjustable straps having a closure means, the three pads working in conjunction to provide relief and support to a persons knees, ankles and hips while squatting or kneeling during chores, activities or labor.
2. Description of Prior Art
The following United States patents are identified and disclosed herein. Several devices are disclosed relating to leg pads and supports.
In two U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,073,986 to Farrago and 4,371,985 to Pokhis, a strap-on pad is disclosed which is placed on the back of the calf of the lower leg which provides a cushion for a person squatting which is oriented between the calf and back of the thigh, with Pokhis being an inflatable cushion and Farrago being a flexible enclosure with a flexible and resilient filling. These do not provide a knee cushion or an ankle cushion in the same apparatus. A set of leggings is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,654,962 to DeMott, which has a padded knee portion and is worn over pants.
A kneeling cushion is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,508 to McClosky and appears to be a solid apparatus with openings for placing the feet through, while providing a cushion for the lower legs and another attached cushion between the calf and thigh portion of the legs. U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,217 to Roberson also discloses a similar device, except that it has the pads separate and is carried by a shoulder strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,071 to Richards discloses a very complex mechanical device which include lower knee pads each having a first section attached to a lower leg and provided with a knee seat accommodation for the upper end of the tibia and a second section connected to the first section and provided with a seat engagable by a buttocks and a portion of the associated upper leg when the wearer kneels. Each knee pad also includes a support engagable with the floor or other surface on which the wearer kneels and which has the function of bearing the weight of the wearer's body and helps avoid strain to the flexed knee. An adjustment along the lower portion also elevates the toes and foot above the kneeling surface, with the first and second sections being length adjustable with pins to hold the device in a kneeling position which are released to stand up.
Strap-on knee and shin guards are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. D462,886 to Cantu, Jr. and 3,735,419 to Byrd, which cover and protect the shin and knee of the wearer, as commonly used by catchers in baseball games.